San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California. They play in the West Division of the National League. New York Giants history 1930-1957: Five pennants in 28 seasons McGraw handed over the team to Bill Terry in 1932, and Terry played for and managed the Giants for ten years, winning three pennants and one World Series. Aside from Terry himself, the other stars of the era were Ott and Carl Hubbell, one of the very few pitchers in baseball history to master the screwball (along with Mathewson and Fernando Valenzuela). Known as "King Carl" and "The Meal Ticket", Hubbell gained fame during the 1934 All-Star Game, when he struck out five Hall of Famers in a row: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin. Mel Ott succeeded Terry as manager in 1942, but the war years proved to be difficult for the Giants. In 1948, Leo Durocher became manager of the Giants, with some controversy--Durocher had been manager of the Giants' rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers, but he had been accused of gambling in 1947 and had been suspended and the Dodgers let him go the following year. Durocher remained at the helm until 1955, and those eight years proved to be some of the most memorable for Giants fans, particularly because of the arrival of Willie Mays and two famous games. The "Shot Heard 'Round The World" (1951) One of the more famous episodes in major league baseball history, the "Shot Heard 'Round The World" is the name given to Bobby Thomson's walk-off home run that clinched the National League pennant for the Giants over their rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers. This game was the third of a three-game playoff series resulting from one of baseball's most memorable pennant races. The Giants had been thirteen and a half games behind the league-leading Dodgers in August, but under Durocher's guidance and with the aid of a sixteen-game winning streak, caught the Dodgers to tie for the lead on the last day of the season. Mays' catch (1954) In game one of the 1954 World Series at the Polo Grounds, Willie Mays made "The Catch" -- a dramatic over-the-shoulder catch off a line drive by Vic Wertz to deep center field which could otherwise have given the Cleveland Indians victory. The underdog Giants went on to win the World Series that year in four straight. The Move to California (1957) The Giants' final three years in New York City were unmemorable. They stumbled to third place the year after their World Series win and attendance fell off precipitously. While seeking a new stadium to replace the crumbling Polo Grounds, the Giants began to contemplate a move from New York, initially considering Minneapolis/St. Paul. At this time the Giants were approached by San Francisco. Despite objections from shareholders such as Joan Whitney Payson, majority owner Horace Stoneham entered into negotiations with San Francisco mayor George Christopher around the same time that Dodgers' owner Walter O'Malley was courting the city of Los Angeles. O'Malley, who needed a second team on the West Coast in order to make his move work, pushed Stoneham toward relocation. In the summer of 1957, both the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers announced their moves to San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, and the golden era of baseball in New York City ended. New York would remain a one-team town with the New York Yankees until 1962 when Joan Whitney Payson founded the New York Mets and brought National League baseball back to the city. The "NY" script on the Giants' caps, along with the orange trim on their uniforms, and the blue background used by the Dodgers, would be adopted by the Mets. The Mets still use this color scheme today, with the addition of black in 1995 -- the Giants' orange and black combined with Dodger blue. San Francisco Giants history In sharp contrast to the New York years, the Giants' fortunes in San Francisco have been mixed. Though recently the club has enjoyed relatively sustained success, there have also been prolonged stretches of mediocrity, along with two instances when the club's ownership threatened to move it out of San Francisco. Most disappointingly for the large fan base that they have maintained ever since their arrival in the city, the Giants have as yet failed to win a World Series title for San Francisco. 1958-62: Seals Stadium and Candlestick Park When the Giants moved to San Francisco, they played in Seals Stadium for their first two seasons. In 1958, Latino hitter Orlando Cepeda won Rookie of the Year honors. The next season, Willie McCovey won the same award. In 1960 the Giants moved to Candlestick Park (sometimes known simply as "The Stick"), a stadium built on a point in San Francisco's southeast corner overlooking San Francisco Bay. The new stadium quickly gained a reputation for being one of the most inhospitable in baseball, with swirling winds, cold temperatures and impenetrable evening fogs making for a torturous experience; the radiant heating system installed never worked. Candlestick Park's reputation was sealed in the 9th inning of the 1961 All-Star Game, when after a day of perfect conditions, the winds rose. A strong gust caused Giants relief pitcher Stu Miller to slip off the pitching rubber during his delivery, resulting in a balk (and a baseball legend that Miller was "blown off the mound"). The 1962 World Series In 1962, after another memorable pennant chase with the Dodgers which resulted in a playoff series, the Giants brought a World Series to San Francisco. Losing the series 4 games to 3 to the New York Yankees, the seventh game went to the bottom of the ninth with the Yankees ahead 1-0. With Matty Alou on first base and two outs, Willie Mays sliced a double down the right field line. Right fielder Roger Maris, whose 61 home run season in 1961 has historically overshadowed his great defensive work, quickly got to the ball and rifled a throw to the infield, preventing Alou from scoring the tying run. With the speedy Mays on second, any base hit by the next batter, Willie McCovey, would likely have won the series for the Giants. McCovey hit a screaming line drive that was snared by second baseman Bobby Richardson, bringing the Series to a sudden end. Earlier in the inning, a failed sacrifice bunt by Felipe Alou had ultimately resulted in Matty not scoring on Mays' double, which started a lifelong dedication to fundamentals on Felipe's part. In addition, to rub salt in the wound, Richardson was not originally positioned to catch the drive, he only moved there (three steps to the left) in reaction to a foul smash by McCovey on the previous pitch. Giants fan (and resident of nearby Santa Rosa) Charles Schulz made a rare reference to the real world in one of his Peanuts strips soon afterward. In the first two panels, Charlie Brown and Linus are sitting on a porch step, looking glum. In the last panel, Charlie cries to the heavens, "Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher?" Some weeks later, same scene. This time, Charlie cries, "Or why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just two feet higher?" 1963-80: Always a Bridesmaid Although the Giants didn't make another World Series until 1989, The Giants of the '60s continued to be pennant contenders thanks to several future hall-of-famers, including Gaylord Perry, who pitched a no-hitter with the Giants in 1968; Juan Marichal, a pitcher with a memorable high-kicking delivery; McCovey, who won the National League MVP award in 1969, and Mays, who hit his 600th career home run in 1969. The Giants' next appearance in the post-season was 1971. After winning their division, they were easily defeated in the League Championship Series by the Pittsburgh Pirates and Roberto Clemente, who then went on to beat the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. During this decade, the Giants gave up many players who became successful elsewhere. Some of them included Garry Maddox, George Foster, Dave Kingman, and Gaylord Perry. However, the Giants produced two more Rookies of the Year winners (Gary Matthews Sr. in 1973 and John "The Count" Montefusco in 1975). In 1976 Bob Lurie bought the team, saving it from being moved to Toronto. A year later, Toronto was awarded an expansion team (the Blue Jays), but San Francisco baseball fans' worries about losing their beloved Giants had not completely gone away just yet. The rest of the 1970s was a generally disappointing decade for the Giants, finishing no higher than third place in any season. That 3rd place season was 1978. They had young star Jack Clark and veteran pitcher Vida Blue. They were atop the West for most of the season, but the Dodgers heated up to eventually win the West and the NL Pennant. 1981-92: Nadir and Resurrection In 1981 the Giants became the first National League team to hire a black manager, Frank Robinson. However, Robinson's tenure lasted less than four years and was generally unsuccessful. In that tenure, the Giants finished a game over .500 in the strike-shortened 1981 season. The next season, the Giants acquired veterans Joe Morgan and Reggie Smith. They were in the midst of a 3-team pennant race with the Dodgers and Braves. Morgan would hit a homer against the Dodgers to make sure Atlanta won the NL West. In 1984, the Giants hosted the '84 All Star Game at Candlestick Park. 1984 was also the sole year that their infamous ex-mascot, the Crazy Crab "graced" the field. In 1985, a year which saw the Giants lose 100 games (the most in franchise history), owner Bob Lurie responded by hiring Al Rosen as general manager. Under Rosen's tenure, the Giants promoted promising rookies such as Will Clark and Robby Thompson, and made canny trades to acquire such players as Kevin Mitchell, Dave Dravecky, Candy Maldonado, and Rick Reuschel. New manager Roger Craig served as the Giants' new manager from 1985 to 1992. In Craig's first five full seasons with the Giants, the team never finished with a losing record. Under Roger Craig's leadership (and his unique motto, "Humm Baby") the Giants won 83 games in 1986 and won the National League Western Division title in 1987. The team lost the 1987 National League Championship Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. The bright spot in that defeat was Giants outfielder Jeffrey Leonard, who was named the series MVP in a losing effort. Although the team used 15 different starting pitchers, the 1989 Giants won the National League pennant. They were led by pitchers Rick Reuschel and Scott Garrelts and sluggers Kevin Mitchell (the 1989 National League MVP) and Will Clark. The Giants beat the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series, four games to one. In Game 5, eventual 1989 NLCS MVP Will Clark (who hit .650, drove in eight runs, and hit a grand slam off Greg Maddux in Game 1) came through in the clutch with a bases-loaded single off of the hard-throwing Mitch Williams to break a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the 8th inning Clark took the first fastball for a strike, then fouled one away. Williams' next pitch missed the outside corner to bring the count to 1-and-2. After Clark fouled off two more pitches, he hit a screaming line drive up the middle to bring in two runs. In the top of the 9th inning, Steve Bedrosian was shaky as he gave up a run. But ultimately, Bedrosian was able to get Ryne Sandberg to ground-out for out #3. Fittingly, the hero of Game 5, Will Clark caught the final out from second baseman Robby Thompson. For the first time in 27 years, the San Francisco Giants were the champions of the National League. After taking care of the Cubs, the Giants faced the Oakland Athletics in the "Bay Bridge Series". The series is perhaps best remembered because the Loma Prieta earthquake on October 17, 1989 disrupted the planned Game 3 of the series at Candlestick Park. After a ten-day delay in the series, Oakland finished up its sweep of San Francisco. 1992-99: A new franchise player The Giants no longer play at Candlestick Park which was renamed 3Com Park and then Monster Park, and which remains the home of the San Francisco 49ers football team. The Giants now play at AT&T Park (which, due to various corporate mergers, was formerly known as SBC Park and, before that, Pacific Bell Park), located in the South of Market Area (SOMA) of San Francisco adjacent to China Basin, a small arm of San Francisco Bay now referred to by Giants broadcasters and fans as McCovey Cove. Following the '89 World Series defeat, a local ballot initiative to fund a new stadium in San Francisco failed, threatening the franchise's future in the city. After the 1992 season, owner Bob Lurie, who had previously saved the franchise from moving to Toronto in 1976, put the team up for sale. A group of investors from St. Petersburg led by Vince Naimoli reached an agreement to purchase the team and move them across the country. However, Major League Baseball blocked the move, paving the way for the team to stay in San Francisco with an ownership group lead by Peter Magowan, the former CEO of Safeway. (As compensation, MLB granted Naimoli's group an expansion franchise, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.) In addition to the anticipated move to downtown San Francisco, the Giants' ownership also made a major personnel move to solidify fan support. Before even hiring a new General Manager or officially being approved as the new owners, Magowan signed superstar free agent Barry Bonds (a move which MLB initially blocked until some terms were negotiated to protect Lurie and Bonds in case the sale failed), a move that shaped the franchise's fortunes for more than a decade. The Barry Bonds era started auspiciously as Bonds put up the numbers for the third MVP of his career: 46 homers, 129 runs, 123 RBI, .336/.458/.677/1.135, all career highs. This led the Giants to a great 103-59 record in Dusty Baker's first year as manager, which earned Baker the Manager of the Year award. But despite the Giants' great record, the Atlanta Braves -- fueled by their midseason acquisition of Fred McGriff from the San Diego Padres -- came back from a 10 game deficit to the Giants to win the NL West by a single game. Desperately needing a win against the Dodgers in the final game of the year to force a one-game playoff with the Braves, the controversial choice of Giants rookie pitcher Salomon Torres proved disastrous as he gave up 3 runs in the first 4 innings and the Giants went on to lose the game 12-1. After MLB's establishment of the Three-Division-Wild Card playoff format following the 1993 season, New York Times sports columnist Dave Anderson captured the feeling of many baseball purists regarding the thrilling (and for Giants fans, heartbreaking) winner-take-all outcome as the 'last pure pennant race'. The period of 1994 to 1996 were not good years for the Giants, punctuated by the strike that cancelled the World Series in 1994. The strike cost Matt Williams a chance to beat Roger Maris' single season home run record - he was on pace for over 60 homers when the strike hit with 47 games left to play. The Giants then came in last place in both 1995 and 1996, as key injuries and slumps hurt them. The only bright spot was Barry Bonds, highlighted by his joining the 40-40 club with 42 homers and 40 stolen bases in the 1996 season. Rookie Bill Mueller also provided hope for the future of the club with a .330 average in 66 games. These bad times led the Giants to name Brian Sabean as their new general manager in 1997, replacing Bob Quinn. (Sabean may have been acting as GM prior to the announcement, as he was rumored to have engineered the deal to get Kirk Rueter from the Montreal Expos). His tenure began with great controversy. In his first official trade as GM, he shocked Giants fans by trading Matt Williams to Cleveland for what newspapers referred to as a 'bunch of spare parts', with the negative reaction being great enough for him to have to publicly explain: "I didn't get to this point by being an idiot... I'm sitting here telling you there is a plan." Sabean was proven right, as the players he acquired in the Williams trade - Jeff Kent, Jose Vizcaino, Julian Tavarez, and Joe Roa plus the $1 million in cash that enabled them to sign Darryl Hamilton) - and a subsequent trade for J.T. Snow were major contributors in leading the Giants to win their first NL West division title of the decade in 1997. The Florida Marlins ended the Giants' season with a 3-0 sweep in the first round of playoffs, as the Marlins marched on their way to their first World Series championship. 2000s: Downtown baseball In 2000, after 40 years at Candlestick Park, the Giants bid a bittersweet farewell to their old home and relocated to a new, privately financed downtown stadium, a long-advocated move. Pacific Bell Park, later renamed SBC Park and then in February 2006 AT&T Park, sits on the shores of China Basin (often referred to as McCovey Cove by Giants fans) at the corner of 3rd and King Streets (affectionately dubbed 24 Willie Mays Plaza). Regardless of anything that might happen on the field of play, this move represented an entirely new era for the Giants and their fans. Whereas the team used to occupy what was widely regarded as the least baseball-friendly stadium in all of Major League Baseball, a throwback to the era of suburban, multi-purpose, concrete "cookie-cutter" stadiums that so many teams moved to during the 1960s and 70s, their new home is regarded as one of the better venues in all of professional sports. The Giants routinely sell out this nearly 43,000-seat, baseball-only stadium, whereas it was not uncommon for them to have a paid attendance of less than 10,000 in Candlestick's nearly 60,000 seating capacity. The franchise since the move annually vies for highest MLB season attendance, in contrast to being often threatened with having the league-low figure before. While still breezy in the summer time in comparison to other MLB parks, AT&T Park has been a consensus success and has developed the reputation as a "pitcher's park". Its state-of-the-art design minimizes wind-chill, it is well served by mass transit, and it has spectacular views of the bay and the city skyline (which even Candlestick had until it was redesigned in the early 1970s to accommodate the 49ers). AT&T Park is the centerpiece of a renaissance in San Francisco's South Beach and Mission Bay neighborhoods. But most important to Giants fans, the new ballpark means they no longer have to worry about their team moving away from San Francisco, at least not any time soon. The inaugural season at the new ballpark resulted in a surprising division title, with the Giants having the best record in the Major Leagues. The Giants lost the 2000 division series to the New York Mets, three games to one despite winning the first game in the series behind a well pitched game by Liván Hernández, and having home field advantage. In 2001 the Giants were eliminated from playoff contention on the second to last day of the season, but Barry Bonds gave fans something to cheer about as he hit 73 home runs, setting a new single-season record. In 2002 the focus returned to the team, with the Giants winning the National League wild card. In the playoffs, they defeated the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS three games to two, and then the St. Louis Cardinals four games one. Led by Barry Bonds record 198 walks and .582 OBP (both since broken by him again), the team faced the winners of the American League wild card, the Anaheim Angels, in the 2002 World Series. The series' climax was during Game 6, with the Giants leading 5-0 in the seventh inning, just eight outs away from their first championship since moving to San Francisco. The Angels came back to win that game, then won Game 7 to claim their first MLB championship and break the hearts of Giants fans. Rebounding from the World Series loss in 2002, the Giants (under new manager Felipe Alou) recorded 100 victories for the seventh time in franchise history and the third time in San Francisco. The team spent every day of the season in first place, just the ninth team to do so in baseball history. The Giants lost to the eventual world champions, the Florida Marlins, in the Division Series, three games to one. In 2004, the Giants again avoided elimination from playoff contention until the last day of the season. The team finished one game out in the Wild Card race and two behind the division-winning Los Angeles Dodgers. The season ended with drama, as the Dodgers came from behind in the ninth inning to defeat the Giants in a late season game, winning on a Steve Finley grand slam. Bonds also broke his own records with 232 walks and a .609 OBP. The Giants' 2005 season was the team's least successful since moving to its new stadium. Bonds missed most of the season, closer Armando Benitez was injured for four months, and ace Jason Schmidt struggled after numerous injuries. However, team management has taken advantage of the off year to give playing time to numerous young players, including pitchers Noah Lowry, Brad Hennessey, Kevin Correia, Scott Munter, Matt Cain, and Jeremy Accardo, as well as first baseman Lance Niekro and outfielders Jason Ellison and Todd Linden. The acquisition of Randy Winn from the Seattle Mariners also proved invaluable in the stretch run. On May 25, 2005, the Giants held a celebration in honor of Baseball Hall of Famer Juan Marichal. A statue of Marichal was dedicated on the plaza outside of the ballpark. Leonel Fernández, the President of the Dominican Republic, was in attendance. In the two games which followed the ceremonies, the Giants wore uniforms with the word "Gigantes" on the front (the Spanish word for "Giants".) On July 14, 2005, the franchise won their 10,000th contest defeating their long-time rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3, becoming the first professional sports franchise to have five digits in their winning total. On September 28, 2005, the Giants were officially eliminated from the NL West race after losing to the 2005 champion San Diego Padres. The team finished the season in third place, with a record of 75-87, their worst season - and first losing record - since 1996. Despite the disappointing finish, Manager Felipe Alou was offered a one-year extension of his contract by Giants management. Rivalries Giants-Dodgers The historic rivalry between the Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers began when both clubs played in New York City (at the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field, respectively). Both franchises date back to the 19th century, and both moved to California in 1958, where the rivalry found a befitting new home, the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco having long been rivals in economic, cultural, and political arenas. Along with the feud between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, it is one of the oldest and most storied in baseball. The Giants have won the World Series 5 times in their history (none since moving to San Francisco), while the Dodgers have won the World Series 6 times (5 since moving to Los Angeles). Giants-Athletics Originating in New York and Philadelphia and in different leagues, the Giants and Oakland Athletics did not strike up a true rivalry until the Athletics moved to Oakland in 1968. (However, prior to their moves the teams did face off in World Series in 1905, 1911, and 1913.) The two teams' geographic rivalry was limited to fan discussions and exhibition games until the 1989 World Series, an earthquake-interrupted series won by Oakland, four games to none. With the advent of interleague play, the Giants and A's now play two regular-season series per year against one another, adding a recurring on-field confrontation to the long-standing off-field rivalry. Season-by-Season Records * New York Gothams (NL) * 1883 46-50 .479 6th in NL * 1884 62-50 .554 4th in NL * New York Giants * 1885 85-27 .759 2nd in NL * 1886 75-44 .630 3rd in NL * 1887 68-55 .553 4th in NL * 1888 84-47 .641 1st in NL * 1889 83-43 .659 1st in NL * 1890 63-68 .481 6th in NL * 1891 71-61 .538 3rd in NL * 1892 71-80 .471 8th in NL * 1893 68-64 .515 5th in NL * 1894 88-44 .667 2nd in NL * 1895 66-65 .504 9th in NL * 1896 64-67 .489 7th in NL * 1897 83-48 .634 3rd in NL * 1898 77-73 .513 7th in NL * 1899 60-90 .400 10th in NL * 1900 60-78 .435 8th in NL * 1901 52-85 .380 7th in NL * 1902 48-88 .353 8th in NL * 1903 84-55 .604 2nd in NL * 1904 106-47 .693 1st in NL Giants boycotted World Series. * 1905 105-48 .686 1st in NL Won World Series vs Philadelphia Athletics, 4-1. * 1906 96-56 .632 2nd in NL * 1907 82-71 .536 4th in NL * 1908 98-56 .636 3rd in NL * 1909 92-61 .601 3rd in NL * 1910 91-63 .591 2nd in NL * 1911 99-54 .647 1st in NL Lost World Series to Philadelphia Athletics, 2-4. * 1912 103-48 .682 1st in NL Lost World Series to Boston Red Sox, 3-4. * 1913 101-51 .664 1st in NL Lost World Series to Philadelphia Athletics, 1-4. * 1914 84-70 .545 2nd in NL * 1915 69-83 .454 8th in NL * 1916 86-66 .566 4th in NL * 1917 98-56 .636 1st in NL Lost World Series to Chicago White Sox, 2-4. * 1918 71-53 .573 2nd in NL * 1919 87-53 .621 2nd in NL * 1920 86-68 .558 2nd in NL * 1921 94-59 .614 1st in NL Won World Series vs New York Yankees, 5-3. * 1922 93-61 .604 1st in NL Won World Series vs New York Yankees, 4-0. * 1923 95-58 .621 1st in NL Lost World Series to New York Yankees, 2-4. * 1924 93-60 .608 1st in NL Lost World Series to Washington Senators, 3-4. * 1925 86-66 .566 2nd in NL * 1926 74-77 .490 5th in NL * 1927 92-62 .597 3rd in NL * 1928 93-61 .604 2nd in NL * 1929 84-67 .556 3rd in NL * 1930 87-67 .565 3rd in NL * 1931 87-65 .572 2nd in NL * 1932 72-82 .468 7th in NL * 1933 91-61 .599 1st in NL Won World Series vs Washington Senators, 4-1. * 1934 93-60 .608 2nd in NL * 1935 91-62 .595 3rd in NL * 1936 92-62 .597 1st in NL Lost World Series to New York Yankees, 2-4. * 1937 95-57 .625 1st in NL Lost World Series to New York Yankees, 1-4. * 1938 83-67 .553 3rd in NL * 1939 77-74 .510 5th in NL * 1940 72-80 .474 6th in NL * 1941 74-79 .484 5th in NL * 1942 85-67 .559 3rd in NL * 1943 55-98 .359 8th in NL * 1944 67-87 .435 5th in NL * 1945 78-74 .513 5th in NL * 1946 61-93 .396 8th in NL * 1947 81-73 .526 4th in NL * 1948 78-76 .506 5th in NL * 1949 73-81 .474 5th in NL * 1950 86-68 .558 3rd in NL * 1951 98-59 .624 1st in NL Lost World Series to New York Yankees, 2-4. * 1952 92-62 .597 2nd in NL * 1953 70-84 .455 5th in NL * 1954 97-57 .630 1st in NL Won World Series vs Cleveland Indians, 4-0. * 1955 80-74 .519 3rd in NL * 1956 67-87 .435 6th in NL * 1957 69-85 .448 6th in NL * '''San Francisco Giants * 1958 80-74 .519 3rd in NL * 1959 83-71 .539 3rd in NL * 1960 79-75 .513 5th in NL * 1961 85-69 .552 3rd in NL * 1962 103-62 .624 1st in NL Lost World Series to New York Yankees, 3-4. * 1963 88-74 .543 3rd in NL * 1964 90-72 .556 4th in NL * 1965 95-67 .586 2nd in NL * 1966 93-68 .578 2nd in NL * 1967 91-71 .562 2nd in NL * 1968 88-74 .543 2nd in NL * 1969 90-72 .556 2nd in NL West * 1970 86-76 .531 3rd in NL West * 1971 90-72 .556 1st in NL West Lost NLCS, to Pittsburgh Pirates, 1-3. * 1972 69-86 .445 5th in NL West * 1973 88-74 .543 3rd in NL West * 1974 72-90 .444 5th in NL West * 1975 80-81 .497 3rd in NL West * 1976 74-88 .457 4th in NL West * 1977 75-87 .463 4th in NL West * 1978 89-73 .549 3rd in NL West * 1979 71-91 .438 4th in NL West * 1980 75-86 .466 5th in NL West * 1981 56-55 .505 5th/3rd in NL West * 1982 87-75 .537 3rd in NL West * 1983 79-83 .488 5th in NL West * 1984 66-96 .407 6th in NL West * 1985 62-100 .383 6th in NL West * 1986 83-79 .512 3rd in NL West * 1987 90-72 .556 1st in NL West Lost NLCS to St. Louis Cardinals, 3-4. * 1988 83-79 .512 4th in NL West * 1989 92-70 .568 1st in NL West Won NLCS vs Chicago Cubs, 4-1. Lost World Series to Oakland Athletics, 0-4. * 1990 85-77 .525 3rd in NL West * 1991 75-87 .463 4th in NL West * 1992 72-90 .444 5th in NL West * 1993 103-59 .636 2nd in NL West * 1994 55-60 .478 2nd in NL West No Postseason due to Player's Strike. * 1995 67-77 .465 4th in NL West * 1996 68-94 .420 4th in NL West * 1997 90-72 .556 1st in NL West Lost NLDS to Florida Marlins, 0-3. * 1998 89-74 .546 2nd in NL West * 1999 86-76 .531 2nd in NL West * 2000 97-65 .531 1st in NL West Lost NLDS to New York Mets, 1-3. * 2001 90-72 .556 2nd in NL West * 2002 95-66 .590 2nd in NL West Won NLDS vs Atlanta Braves, 3-2. Won NLCS vs St. Louis Cardinals, 4-1. Lost World Series to Anaheim Angels, 3-4. * 2003 100-61 .621 1st in NL West Lost NLDS to Florida Marlins, 1-3. * 2004 91-71 .562 2nd in NL West * 2005 75-87 .463 3rd in NL West * Totals 10063-8617 .539 (Not Including 2006) * Playoffs 62-73 .459 (8-17, .320 in Postseason Series') * 5 World Series Championships (#=Won Wild Card) All-Star Games The Giants have hosted two All-Star Games and will host a third in 2007: *The first game was held on July 11, 1961 at Candlestick Park. It was the first of two All-Star Games to be played that year. The National League won the game 5-4 in 10 innings. Combined, 18 players from this game were eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. *The second game was held on July 10, 1984, again at Candlestick Park. The National League won 3-1. Gary Carter of the Montreal Expos was named MVP of the game. *The Giants are set to host the 2007 All-Star Game at AT&T Park. It will be the first All-Star Game in San Francisco to not be played at Candlestick Park. This will also mark the second time in All-Star Game history that one league has hosted two consecutive games, as the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League hosted the 2006 game. Quick facts :Founded: December 7, 1882 or 1879 or 1871. The Troy Haymakers (or sometimes Trojans) were expelled from the National League after the 1882 season. New York had been without a club since 1878, when its club had been expelled; John B. Day was awarded the New York franchise, and so bought up the defunct Troy club. :Formerly known as: Colloquially known as "Jints" (rhymes with "pints") from their New York days. Also referred to in old days as "The Polo Grounders". :Uniform colors: Black, orange, gold, and vanilla :Logo design: The word "GIANTS" superimposed over a baseball. Alternatively, a script "G", or an intertwined "SF". For two games against the Oakland Athletics in 2005, the word "GIANTS" was replaced with "GIGANTES" in the standard font and uniform. :Team motto: Your SF Giants :Team Song: Bye-bye Baby! :World Championships won (before advent of World Series) (3): 1888, 1889, 1894 :Local Televison: FSN Bay Area, KTVU :Local Radio: KNBR (680 AM), KLOK (1170 AM)- Spanish :Team Mascot: Lou Seal :Spring Training Facility: Scottsdale Stadium, Scottsdale, AZ :Rivals:Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees Baseball Hall of Famers Note: as of 2005 the Giants currently have more players in the Baseball Hall of Fame than any other franchise. However, only Cepeda, Marichal, Mays, McCovey and Perry were elected due to their performances in San Francisco. Retired numbers * NY John McGraw, 3B, 1902-06; Manager, 1902-32 (played and managed in New York, before uniform numbers were worn) * NY Christy Mathewson, P, 1900-16 (all in New York) * 3 Bill Terry, 1B, 1923-36; Manager, 1932-41 (all in New York) * 4 Mel Ott, OF, 1926-47; Manager, 1942-48 (all in New York) * 11 Carl Hubbell, P, 1928-43 (the first National Leaguer to have his number retired, 1944) * 24 Willie Mays, OF, 1951-72 (1951-52, 1954-57 in New York, 1952-53 in Korean War, 1958-72 in San Francisco) * 27 Juan Marichal, P, 1960-73 * 30 Orlando Cepeda, 1B, 1958-66 * 36 Gaylord Perry, P, 1962-71 * 44 Willie McCovey, 1B-OF, 1959-73 & 1977-80 Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame * 18 Bill Rigney, MGR, 1958-60, 1976 (grew up in Alameda) * 24 Willie Mays, OF, 1958-72 * 30 Orlando Cepeda, 1B-OF, 1958-66 * 44 Willie McCovey, 1B-OF, 1959-73 & 1977-80 * 27 Juan Marichal, P, 1960-73 * 14 Vida Blue, P, 1978-81, 1985-86 (elected mainly due to performance with Oakland Athletics) * 8 Joe Morgan, 2B, 1981-82 (grew up in Oakland, also played for A's) Current roster Spring Training *Scottsdale Stadium, Scottsdale, Arizona Minor league affiliations *'AAA:' Fresno Grizzlies, Pacific Coast League *'AA:' Connecticut Defenders, Eastern League *'Advanced A:' San Jose Giants, California League *'A:' Augusta GreenJackets, South Atlantic League *'Short A:' Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, Northwest League *'Rookie:' AZL Giants, Arizona League Broadcasters * Jon Miller * Duane Kuiper * Mike Krukow * Dave Flemming * Amaury Pi-Gonzalez * Erwin Higueros * Tito Fuentes News :Courtesy of SanFrancisco.Giants.MLB.com. http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/partnerxml/gen/news/rss/sf.xml References *Hynd, Noel (1988). The Giants of the Polo Grounds: the glorious times of baseball's New York Giants. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-23790-1. See also *Giants statistical records and milestone achievements *Giants broadcasters and media *Giants managers and ownership External links *San Francisco Giants official web site *[http://www.sportiki.com/index.php?title=San_Francisco_Giants San Francisco Giants at Sportiki] *San Francisco Giants 2000-present *San Francisco Giants on Scout.com *McCovey Chronicles de:San Francisco Giants es:San Francisco Giants fr:Giants de San Francisco ko:샌프란시스코 자이언츠 it:San Francisco Giants nl:San Francisco Giants ja:サンフランシスコ・ジャイアンツ pt:San Francisco Giants sv:San Francisco Giants zh:舊金山巨人 Category:Major League Baseball teams Category:Sports in San Francisco Category:1882 establishments Category:National League baseball teams